Reading, listening to, and questioning America... from the southern Great Plains

Not grannie killers but baby killers?

The sad truth is that we are forced to face our decline in quality of life -- even just surviving -- compared to other industrial, developed, nations. Now we have the sad news that we are way down there in the ranks when it comes to infant mortality. We're 17th with almost 7 infant deaths per thousand. While other nations have achieved a lower mortality rate, we're in worse shape.

As Sarah Kliff points on in the Post's Wonkblog, "While the United States spends more on health care, patient outcomes lag behind peer nations."

About half of America seems to embrace the idea that these stats are bullshit and we shouldn't compare ourselves with a bunch of foreigners. First we're going to have to convince them that they're living in -- hell, they're trying to bring down! -- a nation that seems determined to go backwards in every aspect of its existence. Letting babies die because you're unwilling to admit they're dying shouldn't be an American problem.